SAC Communications
ROCK HILL, S.C. – The Wingate Bulldogs captured the 2021-22 South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award, the Conference office announced on Wednesday. The Bulldogs have now won a league-record 14 Echols Athletic Excellence Awards. They finished the year with 1,642.33 points, winning league regular season titles in men’s and women’s cross country, volleyball, women’s basketball, women’s tennis, and baseball.
In second place in the standings was Queens with 1,601 points. The Royals took home titles in men’s and women’s indoor track and field, men’s basketball, men’s golf, men’s and women’s tennis, and men’s outdoor track and field.
Following in third place was Lenoir-Rhyne with 1,464 points after collecting league titles in men’s lacrosse and women’s outdoor track and field.
Carson-Newman was in fourth place in the standings with 1,147 points, with Anderson in a very close fifth place with 1,132.33 points.
Limestone landed at No. 6 in the standings with 1,125 points and Catawba came in at No. 7 with 1,035.33 points. Newberry posted a No. 8 finish in the standings with 994.33 points. Lincoln Memorial came in ninth with 953.5 points and Tusculum finished in tenth place with 929.33 points.
Rounding out the standings were Coker at No. 11 with 475.5 points, Mars Hill at No. 12 with 472 points, and UVA Wise at No. 13 with 313.33 points.
The Echols Athletic Excellence Award is presented annually to the member athletic department that earns the highest point total based on cumulative final standings in each of the Conference’s 20 sports. Regular season finish is used in the sports of men’s and women’s soccer, volleyball, football, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s lacrosse, baseball and softball, while SAC Championship results are used for men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s golf and men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track.
In the Echols Athletic Excellence Award formula, the champion will always receive 100 points and last place will receive 10 points regardless of the number of schools that sponsor that championship sport. The points earned for all other place finishes will vary based on the number of schools that sponsor that particular sport.
2021-22 SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award Final Standings
| Rank | School | Points |
| 1. | Wingate | 1642.33 |
| 2. | Queens | 1601 |
| 3. | Lenoir-Rhyne | 1464 |
| 4. | Carson-Newman | 1147 |
| 5. | Anderson | 1132.33 |
| 6. | Limestone | 1125 |
| 7. | Catawba | 1035.33 |
| 8. | Newberry | 994.33 |
| 9. | Lincoln Memorial | 953.5 |
| 10. | Tusculum | 929.33 |
| 11. | Coker | 475.5 |
| 12. | Mars Hill | 472 |
| 13. | UVA Wise | 313.33 |